Corrections, Retractions & Expressions of Concern
IEJMS follows COPE guidance when errors or integrity concerns come to light after publication. The published record is corrected openly rather than quietly altered.
Which action applies
| Action | When it is used |
|---|---|
| Correction / Erratum | An error that does not affect the validity of the results or the conclusions — a mislabelled figure, a typographical error in a number, an incorrect affiliation or funding statement, a missing acknowledgement. |
| Expression of Concern | A substantial concern has been raised about the integrity or validity of an article, but the investigation is not complete or is inconclusive. It is published so that readers are alerted while the matter is resolved, and is either replaced by a retraction or withdrawn once the investigation ends. |
| Retraction | The findings are unreliable — whether through misconduct (fabrication, falsification, plagiarism) or serious honest error — or the work has been published elsewhere, reports unethical research, or was published on the basis of a manipulated review process. |
| Removal | Used only in the rarest cases, where the article is defamatory, infringes legal rights, or poses a serious risk. The metadata and a notice remain in place; only the content is withdrawn. |
How notices are published
- Every notice is a separate, citable item with its own DOI, linked in both directions to the original article.
- The original article remains available. It is not deleted; a retracted article is clearly watermarked "RETRACTED" on every page.
- The notice states plainly what was wrong, who requested the action (authors, editors, or an institution), and is published free to access.
- Notices avoid apportioning blame beyond what the investigation established, and record where authors dispute the retraction.
Raising a concern
Anyone may raise a concern about a published article — readers, reviewers, institutions or the authors themselves — by writing to editor@iejms.scienceroot.in with the article details and the specific evidence. Concerns are acknowledged, assessed by an editor with no conflict of interest, and put to the corresponding author for response. Where a concern is substantiated the appropriate notice is published; where it is not, the complainant is told the outcome. Concerns raised in good faith are treated confidentially.
Honest error is not misconduct. Authors who identify a
significant error in their own published work should tell us promptly. Self-reported
corrections are handled straightforwardly and are recorded as such.